Conveyer apparatus.



H. B. & J. A. SAUER-MAN. GONVEYBR APPARATUS.

AAPPLIUATION FILED MAB. ZB, 1308. 914,755. -Patented Mar. 9, 1909 2SHEETS-SHEET 1. 4 49 E .if

H. B. & J. A. SAUBRMAN.

GONVBYER APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED EAILZS. 1808.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

me Normls PETERS co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

HENRY B. SAUERMAN AND JOHN A. SAUERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVEYER APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed March 28, 1908. Serial No. 423,945.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY B. SAUEE- MAN and JOHN A. SAUERMAN, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement inConveyer Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The use for which our invention is more particularly adapted is that ofelevating material such as coal, crushed stone, gravel, sand or othermaterials, from a receiving bin or boot to a storage bin and our primaryobject is to provide a simple construction of apparatus capable ofperforming the transferring operation quickly and positively.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a view in elevationof a receiving-boot, a storage-bin and elevating apparatus thereforconstructed in accordance with our invention, the boot being shown inVsection. In this figure the position of the bucket as it rests upon thematerial to be elevated is represented in full lines, and a position itassumes intermediate its lling and dumping is represented in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the bucket and itsoperating mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view like that of Fig.1 showing the bucket in the dumping position; and Fig. 4 is a view inelevation of a bucket showing another way of mounting it on its guidesand another means for turning the bucket, this construction constitutinga modification of that shown in the preceding figures.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings areceiving-boot isrepresented at 5. This boot, as shown, is divided into areceivingchamber 6 and a chute 7, by a depending wall 8 reaching shortof the bottom of the boot to render the chamber 6 constantly open to thechute 7. The chamber 6 has a rounded portion 9 for the purposehereinafter explained, and the chute 7 has an inclined bottom 10 fordirecting materialdumped into the chute from cars (not shown) which runupon tracks 11, into the chamber 6. The boot is located at one side of astorage-bin 12, on the wall 13 of which is a chute 14 communieating withits interior for receiving material elevated from the boot by bucketmechanism hereinafter described.

rIhe frame of the elevating apparatus com- 55 prises uprights 15 forminga rectangular structure surmounted at its up er end by a platform 16,with two opposed beams 17 extending longitudinally of the uprights 15from the platform 16 to the bottom of the boot. The beams 17 areprovided with opposed channels 13 which open toward each other asrepresented and form guide-ways for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The elevating bucket which is represented at 19 is of generalscoop-shape with its opposite sides 20 having straight convergingedgeportions 21 and 22 and a rounded portion 23, between which sides theinclosing wall 24 for joining the sides together extends. The wall thuspresents a rounded portion 25 and two converging straight portions 26and 27, one of which is cut away as represented in the drawings toafford an opening 23 and an open penetrating edge 29 for engaging widththe material to be scooped in a manner hereinafter described. The bucketis pivote d at itsl sides to the lower ends of links disposed onopposite sides of the bucket and carrying at their lower ends rollers 31which are confined in the guide-channels 18 to be movable up and downtherein. The upper ends of the links 30 form bearings in which is journaled a shaft 32 carrying rollers 33 on its opposed ends slidablyconfined in the channels 18 above the rollers 31, the shaft being alsoprovided intermediate its ends with a fixed drum 34. Chains 35 and 36are secured at their 'upper ends to the shaft 32 on opposite sides ofthe drum 34 and normally extend about the rounded portion 25 of thebucket to their points of connection therewith at lugs 37 on the innersurfaces of its sides 20. A hauling cable 33 is connected with the drum34 and is wound upon it as represented in Fig. 2 when the bucket is inits normal position as hereinafter explained, this cable extendingupward to a sheave 39 over which it passes to the point of itsconnection with a power device (not shown) for operating it. A holdingcable 40 connects at its extensions 41 with the upper ends of the links3() as indicated at 42 and extends upward to a drum 43, upon which it iswound, fixed on a shaft 44 jo'urnaled in bearings 45 on the platform 16.The shaft also carries a drum 46 upon which is wound a cable 47 to thefree end of which a counterweight 48 is connected for a purposehereinafter explained. Fixed to the drum 43 is a larger drum 49 overwhich an ordinary fixed belt extends in. a Well knowniwayv for arresting the movement of the shaft 44 When the treadle 50 is depressed.

The normali position of the parts ofthe apparatus is that illustrated inFig. 1'. in

Which the bucket rests at its open portion upon the bed Aof material,such as. coal X, to be scooped, the cable 38 is Wound upon the drum 34,the Weight 48 is in raised position', and the shaft 44 is freelyrotated.

To operate the apparatus,l assuming it to be in normal position, the.cable 38 isV drawn' vupon thus causing it to= unwind from the drum 34-and in so doing rotate the' shaft 32 With the result of. causing thechains 35 and 36 to Wind upon thc'latter. By Winding the chains on theshaft as described, the bucket is caused to be turned in the directionindicated by the arrow in: Fig.v 1, the penetrating edge 29 of thebucket engaging with the material X and sinking. deeper and deeper intoit as the' turning of the bucket continues. By the time the bucket hasbeen turned to the inverted position as represented by dotted lines inFig. 1, it will have penetrate'dl the material' sufficiently far toscoop up a full load, whereupon' the bucket may be raised to thedesi-red height for dumping it by continuing to draw on the cable 38: Asthebucket is raised by the cab-le 38, the cable 40 is caused to Wind upony the drum 43 by the action of the weight 48 in unwinding the cable 47from the drum 461,. the Weight being preferably heavy enough to preventany slack being produced in the holding cable 40v during' the buck-etelevating operation, but too light toi raise the bucket andl theV partsmovable' With it.

The dumping of the bucket is effected by depressing. the treadleV 50 toapply the` brake to the sha-ft and thus hold the cable' 40 againstmovement, and thereupon slacking the hauling cable' 38', with the resultof permitting thev bucket to turn by gravity onits journals to thedumping position illustrated in Fig. 3. The bucket may then be loweredand caused: to returnv to its normal position by slacking both cables 38and 40, the bucket by reason of its pivotal connection toE one side' ofthe center of gravity as represented in Fig. 3', causing it toautomatically swing. to a' position in which it will lie upon thematerial as represented in Fig. 4.

It is manifest that when the cable 38 is slackened and the bucket turnson its j'ou'rnals, as described, to normal position the chains 35 and 36Will unwind? from the shaft 32 and the cable 38 will Windi upon: thedrum 34, and thus the cabler 38 and chains are automatically returned'to normalpositions in which they are' ready to be' again operated forscooping up another load in a man-ner hereinbefore described.

The combination of the boot With the rounded portion 9 and! the'scoopguided in its up' andi doWni movements, and constructed andarranged to be turned to inverted position- While in engagement With thematerial vin the boot is very desirable, as the scoop acting, at itspenetrating edge against the curved bottom of the boot by successiveoperationsmay be caused to scoop up from the boot all the materialdumped into it.

Furthermore, by provi-ding the construction as set forth no valves orgate between the chute and chamber 6 are required.

In the construction represented* in Fig. 4, the links 30,` shaft 32' anddrum 3'4 are omitted, the bucketV 19? being journaled directly tovshafts 512, each carrying a roller52 movable the guideeway's 18. Thechains 35 and 36 are also'- omitted, though thisis not necessary in thisconstruction, and in their place a baill 53 formed of two arms 54 and across-bar 55, is substituted?. The bail ispivoted at the" endsof itsarms 54 to stub-shafts 56 extending beyond the bucket-sides 18 to causethe bail to extend preferably from a point at one side ofthe center ofgravity of the bucket to the opposite` side thereof and beyond thecurved portionv 25 of the bucket, lugs 57 being. provided on thebucket-sides for engaging' with the upper edges of the arms 54,.for apurposeI hereinafter explained. When the shaft 32 and' drumi 34 areomitted, the haul-ing line 38l as attachedl directly' to the bail15'3andthe holding-line 4'() is secured to the stub-shafts 511, orifthedrunr 34 only is omitted?,l the holdingfline 40 may be secured tof theshaft 32...

rlfhe operation of the' construction illus trate'd in Fig.v 4 is asfollows; The bucket 19 is turned! to'A invert it While in engagementwith the material X to be elevated, by pulling'on the line 38, whichcauses the arms 54 te engage With the'lu'gs` 57 and with the leveragethus obtained turn the bucket. The bucket israisedi tothe desired heightby continuing: thev pull the cable 38, the bucket being guided in`l itsupward. movement by the rollers 52. To dump the bucket the cable 40isheldfast and the line 38is slackenedrtol permit the bucket to-beturned' by gravity'to the dumpingl position, as in the case of theconstruction oftlre preceding iigures. y

It is manifest that in place of the chains 35 and 36 of theconstructionillustrated Fig. 1, a bail and' engaging lugs such as thoserep'- resented'- at 532 and:` 517 in Fig.` 4 may be used?, and that in:the construction illustrated in Fig. 4 the' chains 35 and 3 6 as showninv Fig. 1, may be usedplace ofthe bail 531.

It will? be notedf that by empl'oying'a guide such as that representedat 128 forguidfing'the bucket in its travel from the point from whichthe material ifs sco'opedup.` tothe place of discharge, thediire'etionyof movement of the bucket is positive', and thusthischaracter et construction presents vgreat advantages Where it isdesi-red that material: be taken from a fixed location such as from thereceiving-boot and discharged at another fixed location as, for example,the chute leading into the storage-bin.

lhat l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-u 1. Thecombination of a guide, a pivoted scoop guided by said guide andcontaining an opening and a cutting edge adjacent thereto, and meanshaving eccentric connection with the scoop and operating when actuatedto swing the scoop to upright position and in so swinging the same tofirst lower and then raise the said cutter-portion, as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination of a guide, a member movable in said guide, a scooppivoted to said member and containing an opening and a cutting edgeadjacent thereto, and means having eccentric connection with the scoopand operating when actuated to swing the scoop to upright position andin so swinging the same to first lower and then raise the saidcutter-portion, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a guide, rollermeans movable in said guide, ascoop pivoted to said roller-means and containing an opening and acutting edge adjacent thereto, and means having eccentric connectionwith the scoop and operating when actuated to swing the scoop to uprightposition and in so swinging the same to first lower and then raise thesaid cutter-portion, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a shaft carrying a drum, a scoop, a hauling-lineconnected with the drum, and means connected with said Y shaft and scoopfor turning the scoop u on its journals to invert it when the haulingineis operated to rotate the drum.

5. rllhe combination of a shaft carrying a drum, depending membersconnected with the shaft, a scoop j ournaled below said shaft in thedepending members, a hauling-line connected with the drum, and meansconnected with said shaft and scoop for turning' the scoop upon itsjournals to invert it when the hauling-line is operated to rotate thedrum.

6. rllhe combination of a guide, a shaft movably supported in the guideand carrying a drum rotatable with it, a scoop, a haulingline connectedwith the drum, and means connected with said shaft and scoop for turningthe scoop upon its journals to invert it when the hauling-line isoperated to rotate the drum.

7. rihe combination of a guide, a shaft movably supported in the guideand carrying a drum, arms depending from said shaft and l havingwguidingconnection with the guide near their lower ends, a scoop journaled tothe lower ends of the arms, a hauling-line connected with the drum, andmeans connected with said shaft and scoop for turning the scoop upon itsjournals to invert it when the hauling-line is operated to rotate thedrum.

8. The combination of a drum, a cable connected with the drum, a bucketconnected with the cable, means for operating the bucket to cause it tobecome loaded with material to be conveyed, means for raising thebucket, a second drum movable with said first-named drum, a cable woundon said second drum in a direction opposite to that in which the cableis wound on said firstnamed drum, and means for unwinding the cable fromsaid second-named drum during the operation of raising the bucket, forthe purpose set forth.

9. The combination of a receiving-boot, a guide extending upward fromthe boot, a pivoted scoop operating in said guide and containing anopening and a cutting edge adjacent thereto at which opening the scoopnormally rests on the material in the boot, and means having eccentricconnection with the scoop and operating when actuated to swing the scoopupon its pivot to inverted position and in so swinging the same to causeit to first lower and then raise the cutter-portion of the scoop whilein engagement with the material.

10. The combination of a receiving-boot having a curved bottom, a guideextending upward from the boot, a member movable in said guidelongitudinally thereof, a scoop pivotally connected with the member andcontaining an opening and a cutting edge adjacent thereto, and meanshaving eccentric connection with the scoop and operating when actuatedto swing the scoop to upright position and in so swinging the same tocause it to swee against the curved bottom of the boot by 'rst loweringand then raising the cutter-portion of the scoop, for the purpose setforth.

11. The combination of a boot divided into a receiving-chamber and achute-section by a depending wall, the receiving-chamber having a curvedbottom, a scoop, and means for turning the scoop in the material in theboot to cause the scoop to engage with and traverse the curved bottom ofthe boot, for the purpose set forth.

HENRY B. SAUERMAN. JOHN A. SAUERMAN. In presence of A. U. THORIEN, R. A.SOHAEFER.

